Graduations
by thepuppiesinpink
Summary: This is some fluff about Elizabeth graduating from undergrad and preparing for her wedding. Minimal angst. I promise there's nothing weird. I can write normal fic, really.
I promise I can write fanfic that isn't riddled with tragic angst. Here's proof.

* * *

Elizabeth finished writing out her last essay. She was graduating from UVA in only a couple weeks. She had a couple finals to take, but they weren't going to be demanding. Even so, she was distracted and stressed.

It wasn't even the graduating that was so stressful for her. She and Henry were both staying at UVA for the foreseeable future. She had been accepted into the Political Science doctorate program to continue her time at UVA. Henry was set to finish his PhD in Theology within the next semester or so. He was just about ready to submit his dissertation.

The difference following graduation was that Henry and Elizabeth were getting married in June. They'd only have a couple weeks between her graduation and their wedding. The ceremony was mostly prepared. It was going to be a pretty small affair, but they had both included meaningful elements.

Elizabeth was stressed because as much as she loved spending time with Henry, making a commitment to someone was scary. She wasn't convinced in her abilities to love one person for her entire life. She was absolutely positive she could promise him the next few years, but she didn't know what the future held. The CIA was allowing her to work part time while she was getting her graduate degree, since she had been interning there every summer since she was a senior in high school. Moving into a more professional position as well as beginning graduate school was a new step for her. Marrying Henry would be another adjustment. It was one she welcomed, or at least she did on good days. It didn't seem as scary when she was well rested and confident. When she was already tired or stressed, though, it was another story.

The graduation ceremony symbolized this transition. She was done with undergrad. Now she was moving into the phase where her life could get shaken up on a moment's notice. She and Henry were both waiting for a letter to come in the mail notifying Henry of his mobilization into active duty. He might be able to avoid it, but they were prepared for it to come.

All of the changes made her take a couple quick breaths. She was so nervous. How could she prepare for this? There was no way.

Well, there was. She knew the only thing that would ensure her life was more stable was investing more time in her relationship. But with a deployment looming, becoming more intertwined with Henry seemed more risky. She felt an independent streak to assert her autonomy.

Henry had noticed Elizabeth would periodically retreat into herself for a couple days at a time. She would find her way back after a while, but she had been swinging back and forth. He supposed it was natural, but he couldn't help but occasionally get his feelings a little hurt. He would make a significant declaration of love for her, and then she would need to spend a couple days coming to terms with it.

* * *

"Henry?" She poked her head into the bathroom as Henry was brushing his teeth. She had spent the night with him in his apartment.

"Yeah, Babe?"

"When do you have to leave this morning?" She had a fingernail tucked in her bottom lip. She was nervous, and Henry could hear it in her voice.

He thought for a moment. He had an appointment with the archivist in the library, but he could reschedule that. "I've got a while, you want to talk?"

"Yeah. But if you're busy…"

"No. It's fine. Here, have a seat." Henry had her sit on the bed. She sat back by the headboard and crossed her legs. He stayed at the end of the bed, but made sure he was facing her.

"I… I'm nervous." It was a lot for Elizabeth just to acknowledge it.

Henry smiled. She had come to him this time without him having to prod her half a dozen times. "That's okay. You don't feel bad about it, do you?"

"I guess." The guilt in her voice was obvious.

"Don't feel bad. Being nervous is perfectly fine. I'd be worried if we weren't nervous." He tried to offer her some reassurance.

"You're nervous, too?" She nearly blurted it out, realizing what he had said.

He leaned in to caress her face. "Of course I'm nervous. I don't have any practice doing what we're about to do. I want to do it well, but I can't prove myself."

"That's exactly how I feel!" The weight she felt lifted off her shoulders was immense. Henry understood her. That meant the world to Elizabeth. It also comforted her so wonderfully.

"Come here." Henry held his arms out for her. She folded herself into his embrace in an instant.

The smile on her face was incredibly bright. She was beaming. "Henry, I love you. I love you so much."

Tears started to gather in his eyes. Elizabeth wasn't stingy with her love, but overt declarations hadn't come easily to her. Particularly in the beginning, she had been incredibly guarded in regards to her emotions. What had attracted her to Henry was his unfailing sense of morality and ethics. She was confident that he would not brush her aside because of one awkward situation. It made her more willing to open up to him. She could risk looking silly or immature or insecure or unprepared… Henry didn't judge her. He saw her incredible talent and potential. He saw her incredible intelligence and wholehearted commitment to make the world a better place, and he respected her for it.

"I love you, too, baby."

"You think we're ready?" Elizabeth meant more than just graduation or even their upcoming wedding. She meant his possible deployment and anything that could happen…

He understood her meaning all too well. "Yeah. I think we're ready. You've convinced me."

She looked up at him with a smile. The grin was small, and a little furtive, but it was sure.

Henry's heart swelled. He recognized that smile. He had seen it before, anytime they had a significant heart to heart conversation and she felt exceptionally close to him. Henry gave her an equally intimate smile, leaning down to capture her mouth with his. He only hoped he could show her as much sincerity as she had shown him.


End file.
